In a message dated 12/17/2003 9:01:57 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
audities-owner@smoe.org writes:

<< Me, the first studio album I ever bought by Costello was "Spike," and it's
how I gauge all of his work released before or since.  I didn't like "Mighty
Like A Rose" as much, but I loved "Brutal Youth," even if "All This Useless
Beauty" disappointed me a bit.  Beyond that, "When I Was Cruel" is pretty
consistent and, hell, I absolutely LOVE his collaboration with Burt
Bacharach... >>

I tend to agree with this, and I think part of it is whether or not you 
listened to the album as a "new" album or not. For example, I like Elvis Costello's 
"All This Useless Beauty", though I don't love it. I can see it as a part of 
his catalog as a whole, and appreciate that fact and think it adds something 
to the whole picture. But if I was waiting for a new Costello album after 
"Brutal Youth" and got that, I'd probably be really disappointed. It's sort of like 
David (Bash) said in that your expectations really play a part... that if you 
loved a band's album and you're waiting with baited breath for the next one, 
that you'll be hard to impress. If you come into it later, where you've heard 
of the artist and are buying the catalog, you might be more inclined to view 
it objectively, I guess.

I should also add that Fountains of Wayne's "Utopia Parkway" is probably my 
favorite album ever (I have a second choice, Blur's "Parklife", that's tied 
with it). "Welcome Interstate Managers" was the very rare sequel that did not 
disappoint me on the first or repeat listens, even if I don't love it as much as 
UP itself. Oddly enough I feel the same about Blur's "The Great Escape"... 
--Jason

PS: Beating a dead horse here, but someone mentioned that the Rolling Stones 
"Four Flicks" DVD was a "good buy" at Best Buy for $29.99, and I just want to 
point out that when you reduce your music/movies to a mere loss-leading 
advertising campaign (which is all the Rolling Stones set is to Best Buy, folks), 
then it's pretty damn easy to charge cost (or less) for it. The end result? 
Retailers that actually care about the product with employees who know about and 
love the music will all go away, leaving the big box bullies behind. Then 
they'll raise the prices. They're effectively picking off the "weak" competition; 
i.e., the music retailers, before picking off the stronger ones. It's your 
choice to make, and the Rolling Stones DVDs will be available at a non-deflated 
price at retailers other than Best Buy in another 3 months.